In other words

To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining, in the days of our children, the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them amplified and developed. ~Theodore Roosevelt

The Things I See

Saturday, 10:32 am

By Kate

Jan

29

2005

After the lad’s track meet yesterday afternoon, we stopped at the supermarket for a couple of items. He ran in to do the buying while I waited in the parking lot. I didn’t have to wait for more than five or six minutes. But, in that time, there was plenty to watch.

Mostly what I observed was a stream of people walking out of the store with cell phones glued to their ears. It is a delicate juggling act to talk on the cell phone while pushing a cart and then trying to load the car while still carrying on a conversation. I lost count of the number of grocery items that ended up in the slush.

Then there was the woman walking along the side of the parking lot lane carrying her baby in a carry cradle. Around the corner came a car practically on two wheels. The driver had a cell phone stuck up to her ear and she wasn’t paying attention to her surroundings. To say that she missed hitting the woman and her baby by more than a foot is generous. Her reaction to her near miss was chilling. To me, at least. Her mouth formed the word “oops” and she continued roaring down the lane still yakking on her phone. The woman carrying the baby was more than a little shaken up.

But on a lighter side, a mid-20ish man came out of the store with his cell phone glued to his ear. He approached his car, right across from mine, pushing his cart and talking a mile a minute. While still talking, he fumbled with his keys and dropped them a couple of times before he was able to fit his key into the back of his Scout. The door popped open and he started putting his items in the car. Still talking.

His huge bag of Doritos fell into the slush. He bent over to pick it up and some items fell out of his pocket into the slush. Still talking on his phone. He retrieved his pocket items and managed to deposit the Doritos in the back of his car. Then he grabbed the case of beer and slung it up to the car. The cardboard box ripped and cans of beer rolled all over the place. Still talking on his phone. He crouched down to pick up the cans of beer with one hand. It wasn’t until he tried retrieving a can that had rolled under his car that he decided to end the phone call so that he could use both hands. It’s hard to crawl on one’s hands and knees with only one free arm.

After he’d retrieved the last errant can of beer, he took the last two remaining items out of his cart. Two large packages of toilet paper. Two different brands for a total count of 48 rolls.

For some reason, that just struck me funny. Doritos, beer, and enough TP to provide for a small army. At least the TP didn’t end up in the slush.

It would have been worthwhile to capture all the cell phone escapades on video. I wonder if people realize how much of their brain is devoted to cell phone talking and how much extra effort they expend in the process of trying to talk and function in another realm at the same time. Or, in the case of the driver and the mother with the baby—how close they can come to absolute disaster.

This is war

Friday, 8:00 am

By Kate

Jan

28

2005

I’m not a mean person. And you know that I do have a considerable span of patience. But this morning It Ran Out. The people across the street not only parked in the street last night, they parked one of their cars directly in front of their half empty driveway, right behind my driveway and I Could Not Get Out of my driveway this morning. The lad had to hitch a ride to school with a neighbor. And then I called the police department. And since the street parking ban is still in effect, they had their damned car towed away AGAIN. Do you think they will ever get it?!

She's home.

Thursday, 7:50 am

By Kate

Jan

27

2005

Jennifer, frequent commenter here and formerly of southern California, has arrived back in her hometown, safe and sound. She is much impressed with the weather. Hang tough, I advised. We’re due for a heat wave at the end of the week. We’ll climb into the subtropical 30s and we can break out the jogging shorts. She used to be my walking partner (power walking, task master that she is) and I have already been put on notice that this will become a daily habit once again. This is a good thing. I’ll be putting the coffee pot on later in the day, and then we’ll get down to some serious gabbing and planning.

Wednesday, 2:49 pm

By Kate

Tow, tow, tow your car....

Tuesday, 9:05 am

By Kate

Jan

25

2005

Oooh. There is one really pissed off snow plow driver parked out in front of the house. He cannot get past the neighbor’s car parked out in the road. (There is still a snow emergency in effect) He’s honked his horn a number of times, but no one is coming out to move the car. So...he’s been on his cell phone. I’m betting that a tow truck turns up in a few moments. Don’t mess with snow plow drivers.

Playing in the snow. Not.

Tuesday, 7:54 am

By Kate

Jan

25

2005

Oh goodness. Did I hear that the Michael Jackson trial is soon to begin? Wheee! More drama to keep the news shows all abuzz so they can ignore real news. Not that they need an excuse, but when one presents itself, it’s a gimme. But if just hearing reports and listening to Nancy Grace analyze them ad nauseam isn’t enough, E! plans to broadcast daily dramatic re-enactments of each day in court. I’m aquiver with anticipation.

Anyway.

Today I am going to play in the snow. Let’s be clear about this. Play is a gussied-up term for back breaking work, but it sounds a lot more enticing than saying back breaking work. Since there is another snow storm brewing that is tentatively scheduled to dump another 8 inches on us tomorrow, I really must go find the wood pile and dig it out. And, by god, I’m going to haul as much up on the deck as I can manage before I collapse in exhaustion. I am sick and tired of fighting the snow for ownership of my wood pile. I am sick and tired of counting the hunks of dry wood readily available, trying to estimate just how long it will last before I have to go back out and excavate for more.

I’m dragging my feet a little bit, but I really am going to force myself to go out there with my shovel.